SAN ANTONIO — More than a quarter-century has passed, and Larry Schaffer still recalls the moment vividly and fondly.

In 1987, Schaffer was the boys soccer coach at Smithson Valley and was preparing the Rangers for the UIL state playoffs by scheduling a warm-up match against Alamo Heights.

Alamo Heights won the contest 2-1 and went on to capture the state title, the first by an area team. Smithson Valley lost in the regional semifinals.

Beyond the score, though, what Schaffer remembers most about that day was that it was his first encounter with Bruce Fink.

“What's great about Bruce is what you see is what you get,” said Schaffer, now the women's coach at Texas Lutheran. “He is as genuine of a person as there is out there. He's never put his character out there where he's done anything wrong. The kids love him. It's just a great testament to him.”

Another great statement about Fink came Saturday when he became the area's first boys soccer coach with 500 victories. He reached the milestone during the Mules' 4-1 decision over Corpus Christi Flour Bluff in the semifinals of the Alamo Heights Invitational.

“It's a sign of age, and just dedicated, committed players that are willing to buy into a program,” said Fink, who is in his 30th season at Alamo Heights and guided his teams to state championships in 1987 and 2012 and a runner-up finish in 2003. “We stress the fundamentals of the game and the team aspect.”

It is hard to argue with the success of Fink's approach. He is 458-133-73 at Alamo Heights — a program he started from scratch in 1984-85 — and was 42-11-0 in four seasons at Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Fla.

“He has just stayed true over all the years to his personality,” said Schaffer, who retired in 2012 after winning 343 games and two state championships during a 30-year high school coaching career that included stints at McCollum, Smithson Valley, Roosevelt, Churchill and New Braunfels. “You're never going to find his team where they're going to be out of hand or they're undisciplined. Yet, he doesn't rule it with an iron fist. He rules it by just the respect of the kids because of the type of person he is.”

The respect for Fink is reflected every January when 40 to 50 of his former players show up for the annual alumni match. It shows in how the legendary coach continues to succeed in a sport that has drastically changed over time by adhering to his beliefs — focusing on the basics and teamwork.

“It says a lot that a lot of his players are still close friends with him,” said Greg Marcus, who played on Fink's '87 state title team, the first area team to win the sport's ultimate prize. “I think he's been able to adapt to how kids and parents have changed over the years. He's also been able to adapt his style of soccer to each team.”

While Fink's coaching style might have changed somewhat over the years, the coach hasn't, Schaffer said.

“He's just a class act, class person,” Schaffer said. “He's one that we need to keep in the coaching ranks, because he's good for the game.”